


Triumvirate

by GrimTamlain



Series: I Am Yours and You Are Mine [3]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, F/M, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Justice, Kevin is the goodest boy, Marriage, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Romance, Slow Burn, alien original female character, dual-memories, dub-con, heart-break, instrumental music got me through this, mention of Jessie Wells, psychologist original female character, sex pollen-esque scene, sometime after Zoom but before Savitar, there is a doberman named Kevin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:00:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29630151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrimTamlain/pseuds/GrimTamlain
Summary: Things seemed to have settled down for Team Flash after the defeat of Zoom.At least until an attack by an Olympian Goddess hell bent on destroying Persephone Kore appears in downtown Central City.Having believed she was the sole survivor of her species after the death of her home planet, Olympus, Persephone struggles with the onset of long-ago memories in the wake of an encounter with another Olympian.Struggling with new powers, and memories from another life, Persephone, with the help of her little family, work together to take down a literal Goddess.And if she manages to work through her traumatic break-up and find love with a grumpy scientist that just so happens to share a face with her ex, all the better.
Relationships: (mentioned) Ronnie Raymond/Caitlin Snow, (past) Harrison Wells|Eobard Thawne/Original Female Character, Barry Allen/Iris West, Cecile Horton/Joe West, Earth-2 Harrison "Harry" Wells/Original Female Character(s)
Series: I Am Yours and You Are Mine [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2167512
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

It was a beautiful, sunny day at the end of summer, in Central City. Birds were chirping, people were outside playing games or exercising, it was a truly peaceful day.

At least outside of Star Labs.

“Stop touching my things!”

“I didn’t _touch_ your things, Ramon.”

“That, right there! In your _hand_ , that’s _mine_!”

“I don’t see your name on it.”

Rubbing her temples, Persephone looked up from her laptop to see the two men fighting over a piece of tech in the entrance to the Cortex, swatting at each other like children. Snapping her laptop closed, she held her hand out, glowing a light purple, watching as the tech piece glowed the same color in Harry’s hand, then shoot into her outstretched palm. She let out an aggravated sigh, when all it did was allow the two of them to fight with both hands.

“Okay, _boys_ , time to play outside,” Caitlin said, grabbing her purse from the back of her chair, throwing her arms in a sweeping gesture at the men, pushing them back towards the entrance. She turned back towards Persephone, who had opened her laptop again. “You too, Seph.”

Snapping the lid closed again, she grabbed the black baseball cap from the desk, and followed the three of them out of the building, handing the hat to Harry, who put it on with a sigh. He hated wearing hats of any kind, but thanks to an evil speedster wearing his face, not only is he supposed to be dead, but also a confessed murderer.

“Where to?” Cisco asked, walking backwards, a bounce in his step.

Caitlin looked at her watch and shrugged. “Coffee?”

Persephone let out a groan, clutching at Caitlin’s arm. “I am _dying_ for some decent coffee.”

“I _make_ decent coffee,” Harry grumbled, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, hunching his shoulders.

Cisco and Persephone shared a look, before Cisco wrapped an arm around the older man’s shoulders. “Buddy, I’ve got something to tell ya—”

“Don’t touch me, Ramon,” Harry snapped, shrugging the mechanical genius off. He looked over at Persephone and Caitlin. “What’s wrong with my coffee?”

“Uh—”

“Well, it tastes like—”

“Hey, look, we’re here!” Persephone exclaimed, hastily, saving Caitlin from finishing her sentence. They stepped inside the building, and Cisco groaned at the line. Immediately, Persephone put a finger to her nose, followed quickly by Cisco, then Caitlin, leaving Harry to stare at them with his eyebrows furrowed, confused.

“What are you—”

“Harry, my man, you gotta get the coffees,” Cisco said, patting him on the shoulder, before shoving him towards the line. “You snooze on the ‘not it’ game, means your ‘it’.”

Persephone snorted, as she watched the man shake his head, before moving to stand in line. Settling at a table, Caitlin and Cisco immediately started up a conversation about the newest research that Mercury Labs was working on; Persephone, on the other hand, zoned them out—her area of expertise lying in psychology—and watched Harry as he maneuvered the line. He fidgeted a lot, she mused, watched as his hands moved from his pockets to crossed over his chest, moving again to check his watch, then to fix the cap lower on his face. She took pride in her psychoanalytical skills, having been able to see the things that differentiated him from Thawne. Where Thawne was still, Harry was constantly moving—whether it be his fingers putting tech together, or writing equations on the clear-board, he was always moving. Eobard Thawne may have been cold when he was displeased, but he always had a smile, or a wink, when he was pleased, was even prone to touching; Harry was the opposite: he was grumpy, antisocial and _hated_ being touched, unless it was his daughter, Jessie. Everything about Harry was different from Thawne, and now that she knew it, Persephone was able to put aside her broken-hearted rage and become friends with Harry.

He was acerbic and rude, and it had taken her a couple days of watching him to realize that it was because he had been hiding his deal with Zoom, had been hiding behind well-built walls to not get attached to their little family, only trying to save Jessie—why he stayed after the fact, she couldn’t _quite_ figure out.

But as she let her gaze roam over him, she let a smile pull her lips when she saw him bend down to pick up a doll the little girl in front of him had dropped when her mother pulled her away too quickly. She felt her heart squeeze, the butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she saw the soft smile he gave the little girl as he crouched beside her. He was handsome when he smiled, she mused, leaning her head against her fist.

Then he caught her gaze, looking up from his crouch, before standing, his gaze still holding hers. She felt her heart skip a beat, and then she was flushing a deep red, her spine snapping her into a straighter stance, seeing his lips quirk up at the corners, before she scowled, tuning back into the conversation Caitlin and Cisco were having.

“They think that they’ve perfected the fMRI,” Caitlin said, shaking her head. “We’re _years_ away from being able to do something like that.”

“Isn’t that the—”

“’Mind reading machine’?” Persephone cut him off, rolling her eyes. “Even if they _do_ perfect it, it’s still not going to be useful. Memories can easily be reworked, especially if we’re talking about the memories of children.”

Cisco frowned at her, smiling despite his confusion, leaning back as Harry came back to the table with their coffees. “But you can’t _fabricate_ a memory. There would be too many holes.”

“Well, yes, _fabricated_ ones,” she murmured, smiling up at Harry when he handed her coffee to her—a Flash with milk and sugar—before he settled into the chair beside her. She leaned forward across the table. “But a memory can be _altered_. Like this for instance, I _could_ end up convincing myself that Harry had gotten me the wrong drink, and it would sour the whole memory. Or I could convince myself that the guy in the corner gave me his number.”

Cisco grinned at her, giving her a wink. “But he _did_ give you his number.”

The instant he said it, his eyes moved to Harry, whose entire body had stilled, most notably, his fingers had stopped tapping against the edges of his cup, his jaw tightening. Caitlin snorted, taking a sip of her coffee as Persephone laughed, rolling her eyes.

“My _point_ ,” she said, taking a sip of her own coffee, ignoring the way Harry’s mouth opened and then shut, scowling into his own drink. “Is that they want to sell it to like the DoD, or even to the city, but it’s not going to be any better than regular witness testimony.”

“The fMRI on my Earth is used in psycho-sciences,” Harry murmured, finally piping into the conversation. “It was used in social work services—therapy, mostly.”

Persephone raised her hand at Harry, as she brought her drink to her lips, making an agreeing sound. “But then, you’ve got to look into the whole aspect of _consent_ —”

She was cut off when a series of crashes happened outside, followed by car horns going off, and people screaming. The four of them froze, Caitlin immediately pulled her phone out to call Barry, while Cisco and Persephone jumped up, making their way to the doors of Jitters, Harry steps behind. Just as she was about to follow Cisco out of the shop, a sharp, searing—blinding—pain shot through her head, causing her to cry out, dropping to the ground. Struggling to get back onto her feet, her entire world swayed, vertigo causing her to instantly regret the coffee.

Then—

_She was on the street, walking slowly towards the center of the wrecks. Several cars had collided with each other, smoke roiling off them, people running away from the crashes, and—glancing up—she knew why._

_Hovering above the crash was a formidable looking woman. She was a handsome woman, with long brown hair, her eyes and body glowing a golden color. Wings, with feathers that would remind one of a peacock, allowed her to stay above the chaos, which she watched with distaste. Held aloft in her hand was a staff, almost as tall as she was, made of ivory, tipped with a crown of gold lightning—something about the staff gave Persephone pause, triggering the reminder of a memory just out of reach—_

“Come on,” Harry growled in her ear, his hands under her arms as he helped her to her feet, holding her up until she was steady on her own again. She shook her head, clearing it of the dizzying fog she had experienced, and then they both heard it, the voice—

“I demand you bring me my husband’s _bastard_!”

Clearing the wall of the building beside Jitters, Harry and Persephone saw the woman hovering in the middle of the chaos, her voice echoing throughout the streets, commanding. Cisco, as Vibe, was on the street, wearing the gauntlets and glasses that helped his breaching abilities, the Flash on the other end of the street, ready to try and take her down.

“Lady, I think this is something you should take up with your hubby,” Vibe quipped, his hands outstretched, ready to summon a breach, or hit her with a vibe-blast.

“I am Hera,” she boomed, brandishing the staff in her hand. “Queen of the Olympians. I demand that ghastly bitch to come before me.”

“Hera,” Persephone breathed, a memory wiggling free: remembering running to her father, delighted to see the man that would make her laugh, only to run into this woman, struck down before she could get close, fury radiating off the Queen from her very presence. She shook her head to free herself of the memory, stepping forward, ready to go into the street, but Harry held her back.

“You need more training,” he rasped, his eyes darting between hers and the figure in the middle of the street. “You’re not ready for this yet. You don’t have enough control.”

She bit her lip, her eyes wide, as she watched the Flash and Vibe work together to try and bring her down. She flinched as she saw the staff whip out to hit Vibe, throwing him to the ground, unconscious. The Flash swooshed in, grabbing Vibe, dropping him off at Harry’s feet, out of danger. Bending down, Persephone touched shaky fingers to his neck, checking his pulse, before moving his hair aside to see how bad the blow was. Her head whipped back up when she heard the Flash cry out and watched as Hera threw him into a brick wall, her wings flaring out in her fury.

“Come now, Persephone,” Hera crooned, dropping to the ground, standing as tall as an Amazon. “Come before me, or I kill everyone you send in your stead.”

Persephone looked up, her entire body trembling, electricity started to spark across her skin. She saw the Flash stumble to his feet, gasping for breath as his body tried to heal his wounds.

“Why do you want her?” he gasped.

Hera smiled the expression cold, stony. “All I want is for her to give me her power. That’s it.”

A long-buried memory broke free, assaulting her with Eobard Thawne.

_“I don’t want them!” she cried out, her nerve endings on fire as electricity crackled across her body, shooting into her white-blonde hair, making it float with each spark._

_“They’re part of who you are, Little Flower,” he purred, moving his wheelchair towards her kneeled form. He reached down, tilting her head up by her chin, his lips ghosting over hers, ignoring the tears in her eyes, the electricity around her body sparking across his, turning red before it absorbed into his skin. “You would die without them.”_

Persephone watched as Hera slammed the butt of the staff into the ground, making the earth tremble, hitting the Flash like a shockwave. She stood up then, her fingers clenched into fists, moving to step out of her hiding spot, when a large hand wrapped around her wrist, calloused fingers pressed tightly into her skin. She turned, knowing the expression that would be on Harry’s face, steeling herself against it.

“ _Don’t_ ,” he rasped, his voice thick.

“I have to,” she whispered, stepping towards him, looking up into his pale blue eyes. She reached up, brushing her fingers across his cheek, before sliding them towards his neck, burying them in his dark hair, pulling him down to press her lips against his. It was gentle, pulling a sigh from her, whispering a goodbye as their lips moved together. She knew—when she pulled away—that her eyes were glowing lavender. Pressing a glowing hand against his chest, she rooted him in place, his entire body glowing lavender like the piece of tech did earlier, and she stepped out of the alley, into the street.

“Hello, mother,” she murmured, flashing away from Jitters, her hair whipping with the speed in which she moved.

“ _Step_ -mother _,”_ Hera snapped, turning towards her. Persephone watched the woman, hands clasped behind her back, leaning on her left leg, her right leg stretched out, resting on her heel.

“If I give you my power,” she murmured, watching the way that Hera’s fingers tightened on the staff. “You’ll leave?”

“I swear on the vows I made,” Hera answered, solemnly, causing Persephone to snort, tossing her head so her hair fell back over her shoulder, down her back, tucking her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

“Daddy never took those vows seriously,” she mumbled.

“I did!” Hera shrieked, her wings flaring out in anger. “ _I_ never strayed. _I was loyal to the end_!”

Sighing, Persephone flashed forward, within reach of the staff, glancing back into the alley to see Harry watching her, his jaw tense with worry, his eyes sparking with frustration at the fact that he couldn’t do anything. Bringing her gaze back to Hera, she dipped her head in a short bow.

“Then on your vows,” she whispered.

“On my vows,” Hera agreed, reaching out with her staff; Persephone blinked against the tears in her eyes, greeting her death head on. As the staff touched her forehead, a sharp sound ringing in her ears, she closed her eyes against the blinding white light that became her entire world…


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to give an earlier update, because I'm actually super proud of this story, and really want to share it!
> 
> Updates are generally done on Monday's, but I couldn't wait lol

_There was something about Harrison Wells that would give anyone pause. The way he held himself, all confidence and pride, as he gave his speeches about the Particle Accelerator to the press, the way he was fiercely protective of his work and his employees, especially when they showed promise. He had the top minds within the sciences working with him at Star Labs, all coming together to make the one thing that would change their understanding of the universe. This included her, newly minted Doctor Persephone Kore, top of her class at Stanford; she had doubts as to why he had wanted to hire her—a psychologist—until she had witnessed the first meltdown from overworking._

_After that session, Doctor Wells would call her into his office for coffee. Their conversations started off professional, discussions of the mental health of his employees, and the ways to improve it. Then he would visit her in her own office, would even surprise her with bouquets of daisies—her favorite. It wasn’t until he had found her on the roof, watching the sunrise, that she realized that she was falling for this man. He had brought her a coffee, sitting with her in the silence of the morning._

_“Today is the day,” he mused, standing up and adjusting his suit jacket. She smiled then, feeling the excitement bubble through her system at finally knowing all their hard work was paying off._

_“How does that make you feel?” she asked, watching as his lips spread in a grin, his eyes twinkling as he looked down at her._

_Holding his hand out to her, he had pulled her to her feet, gazing down at her with an intensity that had her heart racing. He towered over her, stepping closer, her small hand still held in his larger one. He tilted his head down towards her, his gaze dropping to her lips, his breath ghosting across her skin as she looked up at him, her heart thundering wildly in her chest._

_“Like I have waited_ centuries _for this,” he whispered, before cupping her face in his hands, slotting his mouth over hers, swallowing her gasp as he tilted her head to deepen the kiss._

_It was a beautiful moment, opening herself up to him—the memory forever shadowed by what had happened that night: The Event, the destruction of the Particle Accelerator. The last thing she remembered before waking up with a dual set of memories that spanned millennia, was the red lightning that surrounded Harrison Wells, his eyes glowing red…_

Just like after the Event, the first sense that came back to Persephone was her sense of hearing. The beating of her heart in her chest, the soft snuffling of her breath; then a steady, rhythmic beeping, the calming whirring of machines surrounding her.

And then _pain_.

It obliterated her sense of being; the pounding in her temples, the sharp pull of her muscles, the throbbing agony that coalesced in her shoulders. Removed her ability to process the sounds around her, destroyed her understanding of everything she knew, until—

_Relief_. And she was back under, swimming in the darkness.

When she _finally_ woke up, the pain she had experienced had fallen to a dull ache. This time she was able to open her eyes to a dimly lit room; looking around, she took in her surroundings: the beeping heart monitor, the screens and computers, the soft _fizzing_ of the lights above her—she was in the Star Labs medical bay.

She eased her body into sitting up, huffing out gasps of breath, taking a moment to get used to sitting up again. When she felt that her body wasn’t going to stop registering her pain, the best that it was going to do for the time being, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, noticing—in a distant part of her mind—that she was wearing Star Labs sweatpants and the usual hospital gown. Slowly, she dropped down to the ground, wincing as her bare feet touched the cold floor, huffing out a breath as she finally got herself to stand up.

There was a sharp discomfort in her shoulders, radiating up on the pain scale, pulling a grunt from her throat. She winced as the pain continued to get worse, until she was gasping for air, the heart monitor bleating louder and faster, until it was a searing agony ripping through her back, dropping to her knees with a strangled cry. Bracing her hands against the cold ground, she tried to curl into herself as the skin of her back felt like it was shredding in slow motion, pulling a scream from her throat, intensifying as her skin felt like it was being flayed off.

“Seph!” That was Caitlin.

She shrieked as hands touched her, her nerve-endings on fire, until she felt a sickening crunch in her shoulders as her back ripped open, something plopping out of her shoulders: heavy, wet and hanging. The hands on her disappeared as if her body was on fire. She couldn’t bear to look, her eyes squeezed shut, the pain dissipating, leaving an ache in her muscles and her throat, her entire body trembling.

“Snow, what—”

“I-I don’t—I don’t know—”

“Kore, can you hear me?” The voice was right next to her, and even if it hadn’t been her last name being used, she would have recognized the raspy tone that belonged to Harry.

She groaned as large hands gripped her arms tightly, in their own way, grounding her against the pain. She opened her eyes, blinking quickly to clear her blurry vision—she hadn’t realized that she had been sobbing until that moment—focusing on the pale blue of Harry’s eyes. The intensity of his gaze would normally be too much, breaking eye contact with him as soon as possible, but as with his hands on her, it grounded her, pulling her past the pain.

She took a deep breath in, and when she spoke her voice was hoarse, cringing at the answer to her question, reaching forward to grip his arms tightly, “What—what is on my back?”

She watched as his gaze lifted, to look at Caitlin no doubt, and it was the bioengineer who answered, her voice hesitant. “It looks like-like _wings_.”

“ _Looks_ like?” Harry asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Like a—” Caitlin scrambled for a tablet, tapping furiously at it, before showing it to the older man. “Like if birds were born with a full set of feathers.”

Persephone’s fingers tightened on Harry’s arms, using him as leverage to get to her feet, her legs wobbling. She shuddered as she felt the wings— _wings_ , she thought, absurdly—brush against her, limp at her sides.

“ _Okay_ ,” she breathed out, her voice just as shaky as her limbs. She looked between the two doctors in front of her. “H-how do I clean them?”

*

She felt better after taking a shower. They had helped her into the locker room, Caitlin swatting at Harry, shoving him out the door—“This is the _lady’s_ room!”—locking it behind him. It was far more difficult than they had imagined, as well as disgusting, to get the blood and sinew and _ick_ out of the feathers, but once it was all done, the wings themselves were much lighter than they had been—and with Caitlin’s help, she was able to tuck them against her back. The next obstacle, was finding a shirt that didn’t hinder the movement of her wings. Leaving, and coming back with a pair of scissors and a Star Labs sweater, the two of them were able to manufacture a covering, cutting the back of the sweater off, being careful of the wings when putting it on.

Sighing, Persephone looked herself over in the mirror. “You think Iris wants to go shopping?”

“I think any excuse to shop would make her happy,” Caitlin murmured, perched on one of the benches, her ankles crossed, watching her.

Twisting her neck to crack the joint, Persephone leaned against the sink in front of the mirror, concentrating on moving the muscles in her new appendages. After a couple minutes of flexing all the muscles she already knew she had, she was able to get the wings to flutter open, sucking in a gasp as she looked them over. They were beautiful, she had to admit: overall, they looked a mottled grey, but looking closer, she was able to see that the feathers were multicolored—grey and white, but also a beautiful purple at the tips of each feather.

“ _Doctors Snow and Kore, where are yooooooou_?” Cisco sang through the intercoms, startling the two of them. Her wings snapped shut in a flinch, causing her to let out a grunt, before turning to follow Caitlin towards the Cortex. She hesitated in the hallway, hiding in that one particular spot where the lights always seemed to flicker, suddenly nervous, shoulders hunched.

Swallowing the nerves as best she could, she straightened her spine, before stepping into the Cortex, eyes glued to the screen showing the news report of the fight with Hera. She could feel Harry’s gaze on her, a steady, heavy presence, causing her wings to flutter and bristle. The movement of her wings pulled the attention of everyone else in the Cortex.

“Um?” Detective Joe West, obviously confused.

“ _Whaaaaaaaaaaat_ ,” Cisco’s drawn-out exclamation, ending in a squeak of sorts. “Girl, _what_! When did this— _dude_!”

She drew in a deep breath, her eyes closing for a moment, before glancing at the little family she had. She smiled, the expression unsure, shrugging.

“Latent ability?” she asked, looking to Harry for—she didn’t know, she realized turning away with a small frown. “Wells— _Thawne_ —was always the one with an answer about my powers.”

Saying his name left ash in her mouth, her nose wrinkling in distaste, unable to meet any of her companion’s gazes. She wrapped her arms around herself, fingers digging tightly into the skin of her upper arms, hugging herself tightly. Barry touched her shoulder, pulling her gaze to him—she saw the same sad look on his face, relaxing a part of her—before he smiled at her.

“Can you use them?” he asked, moving around her to look at them. She pursed her lips, hesitant in admitting a weakness when she was saved by Caitlin.

“I think you’d benefit from some PT,” she said, absently, coming up with some equipment to check her vitals. “But I’d like to run some tests first; get some scans. This is whole new territory!”

“Awe, Barry, you’re no longer the only lab rat,” Cisco murmured, placing a hand on his chest over his heart, flashing a smile, easing the discomfort in the room. He spun himself around his chair, catching himself quickly, turning back to Caitlin. “Whose gonna be in charge of PT?”

The two of them frowned at each other, coming to the realization that out of all the Doctors on the Team, none of them were experienced with Physical Therapy. A frustrated sigh came from the corner of the Cortex, everyone turning towards the sound.

“Me,” Harry grumbled, his hands tucked deep into the pockets of his jeans. Cisco opened his mouth, no doubt with a punchy comment, cut off as Harry added with a shrug, “Seven PHD’s, remember? After the War on my Earth, I realized it was a much-needed science.”

“Okay then, _show-off_ ,” Cisco grumbled, spinning in his chair again, taking a large bite of a licorice rope. Pointing at Persephone as he turned, the smile came back to his face. “ _You_. You need new clothes” He gasped then, excited. “A new _suit_.”

“I’ll settle with new clothes—”

“You’re not leaving the building,” Harry growled, stepping forward. She turned on him, a scowl pulling her features, opening her mouth to argue.

Joe cut in, nodding at the other man. “He’s right, Seph. You go out with—" he gestured at her new feathery limbs. "—with _wings_ —it’s an obvious show that you’re not exactly human, people will panic.”

“That’s where _I_ come in,” Iris said, breathlessly, as she made her way into the Cortex, beaming. Her eyes widened as she looked her over, before moving around her, looking her over. “Just need your card.”

Persephone sighed, rubbing her face, before her hand glowed purple, along with her eyes, and her wallet shot into her hand. She narrowed her eyes at the journalist, whose grin widened as she opened the wallet, touching the card. Hesitating a moment before handing the card over, she hid a smile as she heard the gasp that came from the other woman.

“You actually have a black card,” Iris breathed, her eyes wide.

“One of the benefits of being the CEO of Star Labs,” she said, surprised that the words didn’t hurt as much as they used to. Along with the confession of killing Nora Allen, Harrison Wells—Eobard Thawne—had left her the company and his fortune. Rolling her eyes at the way Iris held the card daintily, she turned towards Caitlin. “There was talk of some scans—?”


	3. Chapter 3

After waking up from the Event, everything had changed. Ronnie Raymond was dead, leaving Caitlin heartbroken; Harrison was in a wheelchair, taking that easily in stride, and Persephone—when she had woken, she started experiencing terrible migraines. The migraines were always followed by what started as dreams: another life, in another time, on another planet. The dreams became waking memories, a contradiction to her own, stuck in a prison of darkness, alone, hidden from the world for _centuries_. Along with the dual memories came the _abilities_ , potent and dangerous powers that she struggled to control.

That helplessness, the way Harrison—Thawne—had taken it in stride, _training_ her, was a humorless parallel to the present.

“Again,” Harry rasped, as she landed heavily onto the mat, her wings having given out holding her weight. She leaned heavily against her knees, panting, a thin sheen of sweat on her skin.

“I can’t—” she gasped.

“ _Again_.”

Anger coursed through her, grinding her teeth, as her wings swept downwards, lifting her into the air above the mat, doing the same thing over and over and over—

She shrieked as he shot at her with his pulse rifle, her wings flinching shut, dropping her several feet, before snapping back open holding her in the air. Fear disguised as fury ripped through her, fingers clenched into fists as she flew towards the man, dropping down in front of him, a part of her knowing that her eyes were glowing.

“What the _hell_ was that!?” she snarled, shoving him hard with a hand on his chest, unaware of the electricity crackling across her skin, singeing his black shirt.

“Training,” he rasped, rubbing at his chest where she had burnt him.

“You _shot_ _at me_!”

“And you dodged it,” he snapped back, not backing down.

“What if I hadn’t? What then, Harry?” She could feel the charge of electricity through her veins, could feel the lightning sparking across her skin, causing her hair to whip around her, crackling with the charge.

“You need to calm down,” he snapped, using his towering height to try and cow her.

She gaped at him, shocked, her wings bristling. “Calm do— _calm down_?”

“Whoa, _whoa_!” Cisco yelled, running up to separate the two of them, careful not to touch her. “No blowing up my speed lab!”

“You shoot at me again, and I will _end_ you,” she snarled, turning on her heel, storming out of the speed lab, leaving a strong scent of ozone.

“You _shot_ at her?” Cisco’s incredulous tone followed her out of the area, as she made her way out of the building.

She jabbed her finger into the button for the elevator, pacing several steps away and back again, the electricity no longer potent, but crackling _within_ her, leaving a restlessness within her blood. She huffed at how long the elevator was taking to get to her, deciding on an alternate route to the roof. Using her back pace, she turned towards the entrance to the building, shoving through the doors, turning to walk backwards, head tilted back to look at the very top of the building. Taking a deep breath in, she let her wings expand to their full width, taking a moment to feel the soft breeze brush through her feathers. Letting the breath out slowly, she bounced on slightly bent knees, her wings stroking downwards, propelling her body into the air; it was exhilarating. She was _flying_!

She crested the roof of Star Labs, suddenly buffeted by a strong gust of wing, tangling her wings and she dropped, catching the edge of the roof with a grunt, hanging off the edge. She struggled to close her wings, the weight causing her grip to slip, using the strength that she had to lift herself high enough to hook her elbows over the tip of the roof, flapping her wings to give her just enough momentum to topple onto the roof, rolling away from the edge, panting heavily. She lay on her stomach, head pillowed on her trembling arms, wings spread and flattened against the ground, trying to catch her breath, eyes closed, as she let the adrenaline course through her.

“Impressive,” a voice called out to her. Opening her right eye, she watched as Harry strode towards her, rocking on the balls of his feet as he hesitated a couple feet from her. She sighed out a breath, too exhausted to fight.

“My body is jelly,” she moaned, muffled by her arms. He huffed out a laugh, his lips quirked in a small smile.

“Let me help.” He gripped her arms firmly, yet gentle, helping her to sit up. He shuffled his feet, hands tucked back into his pants pockets, clearly struggling with something. “Kore, I—”

“I get why you shot at me now,” she murmured, cutting him off, leaning her head back, squinting against the sun as she looked up at him. He froze, his gaze meeting hers—it was still such an intense look that she looked away, her cheeks flushing. “With what we do—in the field—not everything is going to be planned out. I need to be able to work with the unexpected.”

He nodded, making a soft noise in the back of his throat, before moving to sit beside her, looking out over the water with her. It took her a moment to realize that the sun was setting, a beautiful orange reflecting perfectly off the water—the symmetry caused her to shiver despite the warm breeze. They weren’t touching, but she felt his presence beside her like an itch beneath her skin, heat scorching through her.

“I-uh—” Coughing to remove the husk from her tone, she continued, “I got complacent.”

“Yes,” he responded. She turned to look at him, meeting his eyes, feeling the blush creep across her skin at the way he looked at her.

“You want to help me,” she breathed, her heart skipping a beat, as his gaze flicked down to her lips and back up again.

“ _Yes_ ,” he whispered, tilting his head to the side, gaze dropping down to her mouth again, as she licked her suddenly dry lips.

She leaned forwards, drawn to him like a magnet, her heart thumping heavily against her ribcage. Her breath hitched as he moved forward, his breath ghosting over her skin. “Harry—”

“Did you just _fly_?” Barry exclaimed, flashing up to the roof, his wide grin spreading across his face—Harry and Persephone jumped apart, both flushing a deep red. She shot to her feet, a breathless laugh escaping her as she skipped towards the Scarlet Speedster.

“ _Yes_!” she squealed, high-fiving her friend, excitedly. “It was _amazing_!”

Barry wrapped his arm around her shoulders, leading her towards the elevator that would lead them back into the building. “What was it like? Wait, we need Cisco for this!”

She laughed, still a little breathless, looking back at Harry who sat where she had left him, head turned towards the setting sun, feeling his heavy gaze on her, she shivered under Barry’s arm, her flesh pebbling with goosebumps as she turned back towards her friend.

*

It was a slow day, one that didn’t happen very often, and the Team was really feeling it. Barry was working with Harry on speed equations, Caitlin was squirreled away in her lab, hiding from everyone, and Cisco was—well, Cisco was annoying the crap out of Harry as he watched the two men from the other side of the speed lab. Persephone, on the other hand, was back on the roof, in the greenhouse that Harrison— _Thawne_ —had built for her, a hobby that always seemed to relax her, but today was just aggravating.

“ _Dammit_!” she snarled, as her wing knocked over another plant, shattering the pot that it was in. Groaning in annoyance, she lifted her hand, glowing, burying the roots of the plant into another pot, discarding the shattered pot before storming out of the greenhouse, wings fluttering with her agitation.

Walking to the edge of the building, she looked over the edge, her wings itching to stretch out—so she let them, stepping off the roof, plummeting quickly before her wings snapped open, lifting her up as they caught an updraft. Gliding in a large circle, she landed in front of the entrance, fixing the collar of her leather jacket, the entire back panel of it removed, leaving a band along the bottom to help hold it together, before striding into the building, down into the speed lab. She crept her way into the room, sensing the tension coming off—unsurprisingly—Cisco and Harry, as they glared at each other. Cisco slurped his coffee, obnoxiously, as Harry’s jaw tightened.

“ _Don’t_ ,” he growled, drawing the word out as Cisco’s slurp extended.

Eyebrows twitching in concern, Persephone stepped further into the lab, swiping the coffee from Cisco’s hand, downing the rest of it, leaning back against the desk between the two men, ignoring Cisco’s noise of disbelief.

“You know,” she murmured, turning to put the mug down on the desk, leaning her hands against the desk, cocking her hip as she smiled at Barry, ignoring the sound of two chairs wheeling back from her. “I am _itching_ to stretch my wings. Think we can go to the airfield for a spar?”

Barry grinned back at her, flashing away and back again, suited up in the red leather. He laughed, placing his fists on his hips, “Fresh air sounds nice.”

“ _Dude_ ,” Cisco hissed behind her, catching her attention as he kicked out at Harry, resulting in the two of them rolling away from each other. Frowning, Persephone turned towards the two of them, watching as Cisco used his roll to spin in a circle, as Harry’s cheeks and ears flushed pink, the ever-present scowl on his face deepening.

Rolling her eyes, she clapped her hands together, twice. “Chop chop, boys! Field trip!”

As Barry bounced on his heels beside her, excitedly telling her of this new technique he had thought of, she missed Cisco and Harry hissing quietly at each other as they followed them out.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Harry grumbled, pulling the black cap lower over his face.

“You were _staring_ ,” Cisco whispered with a laugh. Holding his hands apart in a large, rounded motion, his voice was almost inaudible as he breathed, “At her _ass_!”

“ _Ramon_ ,” he warned, hand tightening on the pulse rifle at his side.

“ _Jeez_ ,” Cisco said, dramatically. Grinning widely, he nudged Harry in the side, earning a glare. “It _is_ nice though—”

Persephone looked over her shoulder just in time to see Harry grab the Latino by the shirt, shoving him into the wall, earning a laugh from the assaultee. She snapped her fingers, grabbing their attention.

“No murder in my building,” she snapped, moving to turn into the Cortex to yell to Caitlin. “Come on, Snow, we’re going on a field trip!”

*

“I’ve been thinking,” Cisco yelled out as he lay on the ground, panting for air, pulling his glasses from his face.

“This ought to be good,” Harry grumbled, through their earpieces, followed by Caitlin snorting.

“ _Hey_!” Cisco shouted, offended.

Lashing out at Barry with her fists engulfed in flame, Persephone sucked in a breath as the fire missed the speedster. Timing it exactly right, she spun a kick at the man, catching him in the side sending him tumbling across the tarmac. With a shout of delight, she let her wings thrust down spinning herself into a lift as she crowed out a laugh. Flapping her wings to take herself higher, she was breathless as she spoke over the radio.

“Is it about Bruce Wayne being Batman again? I don’t think I can go down that rabbit-hole again.”

“No! I mean, _yes_ , I am like ninety-six-point seven percent positive he _is_ Batman. It’s not much of a stretch from Oliver Queen being the Green Arrow, _come on_!” He responded, getting to his feet with a groan. “But, no. That—Hera?—you think she’s gonna try to take you out again?”

“You have a point,” Barry gasped, getting to his knees, clutching his side. “She said she wanted your powers, Seph. Plural.”

Flying over to the van, she dropped lightly to the ground, taking the offered water bottle from Caitlin, chugging it down. Harry’s eyebrows were furrowed, as Caitlin looked at her, her lips thin with worry.

“Well, I guess—”

“I thought all Olympians died anyway,” Barry said, swooshing towards the table. They all heard Cisco groan as he started jogging towards them, to tired to open a breach. Persephone looked down at her hands, grinding her teeth as she tried to ignore the ache in her chest.

“Thawne kept a lot from me—from _us_ ,” she said, quietly, feeling the burn in the back of her eyes. “Who knows what else he was keeping from us.”

Silence overtook them, broken only by Cisco panting, solemn as they were thrown back into their memories. Barry placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him, eyes narrowing suspiciously at the grin on his face.

“You think you could carry someone while flying?” he asked, pulling a surprised laugh from her.

“I don’t know, Barr,” she said, her chest tightening with nerves. “I’m not exactly known for my upper-body strength.”

Cisco grinned, getting to his feet. “What if someone were falling?”

Barry grinned back at him, nodding his head. Persephone shook her head, nerves coiling in her stomach. “Guys, I don’t know—”

Cisco opened a breach, Barry running through it before she could react. Watching in horror, she saw a breach open in the sky, hurtling the Scarlet Speedster with a whoop.

“Ramon!” Harry barked, standing up abruptly.

She sucked a breath in, bending her knees as her wings thrust downwards, propelling her into the sky, flying as quickly as she could towards her friend, her entire body crackling with electricity as her nerves got the better of her. She reached for him, sparks shocking their fingers causing her to miss him; she tucked her wings and dove after him, gripping his wrist with both hands as her wings snapped open, pulling a screech from her throat at the weight. She was able to slow their descent for a moment, and then her wings crumpled sending a searing pain through her body, and they plummeted.

A breach opened beneath them, spitting them out sideways onto the ground, rolling across the tarmac. She cried out as she landed roughly on her wings, then the wind was knocked out of her, gasping for air. Barry was up and at her side instantly, hands hovering over her, unsure as to what to do, and then the rest of the team was at her side, Caitlin checking her vitals, hurriedly.

“What were you _thinking_?” Harry shouted, rounding on the two meta-humans, furious. “She barely had a handle on her powers _before_ Hera, let alone with a brand-new ability!”

“I-I didn’t think—” Cisco stammered, unable to take his eyes off Persephone, who had finally been able to take a breath.

“Harry, it was an accident—” Barry started.

“Enough!” Caitlin snapped, shutting them up. “She’s fine. Winded, damage to the feathers on her wings, but _fine_.”

“I’ll take her back—” Barry bent to pick her up.

“ _No_ ,” Harry snarled, scooping her into his own arms, rounding on Cisco, towering over the Latino. “Breach us to the Lab. Now.”

Opening the breach, Harry stepped through with her, and as the other two men tried to step through after him, he turned to glower at them until they froze. Cisco closed the breach, mumbling something about the van, and then Harry and Persephone were alone. They had been breached into the Cortex, and he carried into the med bay, settling her gently on to the bed.

She watched as he took the time to clean and wrap the cuts and abrasions on her skin, sucking in a breath at the sting of the antiseptic. When he was satisfied with that, he looked up at her, their eyes caught, and she felt her heart skip a beat at the unbridled emotion within the pale blue depths. The moment passed when she groaned as her wings fluttered, the pain like pinpricks across her nerve-endings.

“What is it?” he asked, concerned.

“My wings,” she gasped, reaching back to try and pull them forward so she could look at them, hissing as they stretched.

“Here, let me—”

He moved around her, looking at the feathery appendages, using the scanners to see if there were any broken bones. Thankfully, the only damage was bent, twisted and broken feathers, which needed to be removed. He told her as much, and she nodded, fingers clenching into the bed at her sides, bracing herself.

“They have to be removed,” he rasped.

“Do it,” she murmured, looking over her shoulder to meet his gaze. “I trust you.”


	4. Chapter 4

Tearing his gaze from hers, from the rawness within her lavender eyes that pulled an answering yearning from within him—too much, too fast: overwhelming—he focused on the wings in front of him. Taking a steadying breath, he reached out to touch her left wing, feeling the feathered limb quiver in his gentle grip, extending it out so he could look over the feathers. He heard her suck in a breath, letting it out shakily, as he brushed his fingers over the soft feathers. He focused on the tips of her wings first, on the primary flight feathers, plucking the first broken feather he saw, easing out the sting with a gentle caress. He froze, dropping his hands from her when she let out a distressed whine.

“Are you—”

“M’fine,” she panted, her wings shivering, as her entire body trembled. Her words were strained, voice cracking as she added, “They’re more sensitive than I was expecting.”

He extended her wing again, moving slowly, but efficiently through her feathers, plucking the damaged ones, pausing every now and again when her body would shudder. Her whines were becoming more frequent as he worked, higher pitched, sounding more desperate than distressed, followed by soft sighs as he brushed his fingers across her feathers. His own breathing was becoming heavier, failing at trying to keep it even, just as affected by this—when he finished her left wing, helping her to tuck it back into place, he needed to step away from her, running his hands through his dark hair, his entire body feeling like it was on fire, felt his blood thrum through his veins, his heart beating wildly.

When he glanced back at her, she was trembling, openly panting, her head tilted back to look up at the ceiling, lips parted as her chest heaved, her eyes closed tight. He watched as she swallowed thickly, watched her throat bob with the movement, pulling a rumbling groan from the back of his throat, wrecked. He pulled his sweater off, hot in the enclosed room, tossing it over one of the monitors beside him, running his hands through his hair again.

“Okay?” he whispered, deeper than usual. He watched her whole buddy shudder at his voice, a strangled groan escaping her. She nodded her head, sharp, jerky movements, and he let a shaky breath out slowly, before moving towards her, gripping her right wing, stretching it out.

This was torture, watching her try desperately to hold herself together as his hands tore her apart, her whines turning into soft moans as he moved more carefully over her feathers. When he finished pulling the damaged feathers out, he brushed his fingers softly over her wings, tracing the small bones until he brushed the base of her right wing, where her skin met the protruding bone, pulling a startled moan from her, loud and desperate and _needy_.

“ _H-Harry_ ,” she pleaded, completely wrecked, her body shuddering as he thumbed the base of her wing. He groaned, resting his forehead on the back of her neck, his body harder than he thought possible. His fingers continued to caress her wings, causing her body to shudder, pulling gasps from her.

“Tell me what you need, Seph,” he rasped, dropping the use of her last name, too raw in this moment for the walls he had built. He lifted his head as she turned to look at him, her pupils blown so wide that only a sliver of lavender was visible, electricity sparking down her arms.

She licked her lips, dropping her gaze to his mouth, fixated. She shifted around on the bed, until she was kneeling on the mattress, eye-level with him. He had dropped his hands from her wings, fisted on top of the bed, using them as an anchor, shivering as her breath ghosted over his face. She reached forward, fisting her hands in the collar of his shirt, pulling him up to stand in front of her, towering over her, tilting her head back to look up at him.

“Kiss me,” she breathed, flicking her eyes up to his, before dropping back down his lips. He drew in a shaky breath, felt the electricity crackling across her skin, sparking against his, sending shivers down his spine.

“Ask again,” he whispered, licking his lips, needing to be sure.

“ _Please_ , Harry,” she whined, her fingers tightening in his shirt, pulling him closer, their lips ghosting against each other. “ _Kiss me_.”

He closed the distance between them, hands coming up to tangle in her hair, tugging her head back so he could properly slot his lips over hers, swallowing her helpless moan as they moved against each other. He licked into her mouth, deepening the kiss, the need he felt for her pulling a growl to rumble through his chest, chuckling darkly when she shuddered against him. Pulling back for air, a thin line of spit connecting their lips, he ran his thumbs across her heated cheeks, taking in her parted, swollen lips, her dilated pupils, the way her chest heaved with her pants.

“You’re beautiful,” he rasped, pulling a distracted hum from her throat. She pulled herself closer to him, her hands moving to rest against the base of his neck, lunging forward to take his lips again, pulling a surprised groan from him, but he let her, one hand tangling back in her hair, the other sliding across her shoulders, before brushing delicately over the feathers of her wings, causing her to tear away from him with a desperate cry. He dropped his lips to her neck, mouthing along the column of her throat, pausing to suck a small mark into her skin, a shudder coursing through her body. Her body was alive with lightning, the air scented with ozone, shocking across his skin, adding a pleasant pain to the heat; nothing could pull them from this moment—

Except for the alert blaring throughout the Cortex, causing the electricity to fritz between them, a stinging jolt, tearing them apart, panting heavily. He ran his hands through his hair, down his face, attempting to pull himself together, daring a glance at her, stunned by how _ruined_ she looked, all unfocused eyes and swollen lips.

“Let’s get this party started!” Cisco crowed, carrying something in his arms, as he and Caitlin strode into the Cortex, settling at the desk, already communicating with the Flash. “Come on Lady Grim, time to suit up!”

Shaking herself from the heated moment, Persephone strode out of the med bay, heading towards her suit, tucked away in one of the alcoves. Cisco grabbed her attention with a noise, holding out the items he had carried in, proudly.

“These, milady, are your new duds,” he said, grinning widely at her, faltering a moment to make sure she was okay. She smiled at him, sweetly, moving into the alcove to put on the new suit. “I reinforced the armor itself, but I also had to redesign the cuirass to accommodate the wings, but I think it’s some of my best work— _Look_ at _that_!”

She stepped out of the alcove in the new suit, flexing her fingers and fluttering her wings, preening. The pants didn’t change much, still a breathable, yet fitted pair of black leather matched with black combat boots, but the cuirass was different. The black armor covered her entire front still, coming up to clasp snugly against her throat, but the back was made up of a series of leather straps keeping it cinched together, allowing her wings the freedom of movement, the padded material covering the length of her arms. A pair of leather gloves and a black domino mask completed the look.

Cisco whistled proudly. “ _Damn_ , girl, work it!”

She rolled her eyes, affectionately, before gesturing at Cisco. “Beam me up, Scotty.”

“With pleasure, Janeway,” he teased, opening a portal. Turning on her earpiece, she jumped through the breach, appearing in the sky above downtown Central City, her wings tucked tightly to her body as she dive-bombed towards the attack.

“It’s Hera, again,” Harry rasped in her ear, sending tingles across her skin, followed quickly by her lightning. “You have to get the staff away from her.”

She let her wings fan out just enough to change direction, as she locked her eyes on the staff in Hera’s hands. Swooping in from behind, she got a hold of the staff, wrenching it out of the other woman’s hands, as she spun in the air, her wings snapping open as she righted herself.

“Nice grab, Lady Grim!” Flash laughed, swooshing in to stand beneath her.

She felt power thrum through the staff, sparking with lightning as she twirled it in her hands, testing the heft. Holding the staff, she realized that her connection to her lightning was much clearer, sharper, than before, allowing her to see a way to control it better.

“You think you have me cornered because you have the staff?” Hera laughed, swooshing forward to grab the Flash by the throat, startling the two heroes at her speed.

“That’s—” Cisco started.

“ _My_ speed,” Persephone finished, her voice low. Twirling the staff above her head, she felt the lightning settle in the crown of the staff, thrusting it out, thunder cracking as the electricity shot out of the staff, slamming right into Hera’s back, forcing her to let go of the Flash, who swooshed away, gasping for air. Tucking her wings, Persephone dropped to the ground, striding towards the other woman, holding the staff in both hands, crown out, checking on the unmoving figure.

Just as she was about to reach out to touch her, Hera’s leg kicked out, clipping the crown of the staff, flinging the weapon from Persephone’s hand, the world around them flashing white; Hera was on her feet, fury in her eyes, swinging her arm at the younger woman, who lifted her arms to deflect the blow, her hands, and eyes glowing as she pulled the staff back towards her, ducking a second blow, before sweeping the other’s feet.

“ _Enough_ , Hera!” she snapped, holding her hand out as the staff slapped into her palm, pulling the weapon up, ready to strike down. As she felt the lightning thrum through her body, absorbing into the staff, the world around her stopped, frozen in place. She looked into Hera’s wide eyes; the lightning reflected within them—

She was kicked in the stomach, sending her flying back, as time abruptly restarted, catching her off guard. She slammed into the ground, winding her, her body rolling until she hit the side of a building, gasping for air, the staff embedding itself into the concrete at her feet with a high-pitched ring. Coughing violently, she vaguely heard the team through the comms.

“She’s fine, Barry,” Caitlin said, having obviously read her vitals. “Make sure she doesn’t get the staff—it’s having an effect on Seph’s physiology.”

“How?” the Flash grunted, blocking a strike, only to jump back with a yelp. “She uses fire too!?”

It clicked into place—

“It doesn’t _take_ powers—” she gasped, sitting up, clutching her side.

“It switches them,” Cisco breathed, awe dripping into his tone. He made an affronted sound. “Don’t _hit_ me—”

“Stop being impressed,” Harry growled.

“Come _on_! That tech is _above_ anything that we have—”

“We made a Particle Accelerator,” Caitlin muttered.

“Guys! Focus!” the Flash yelled as he dodged the fireballs being lobbed at him.

Persephone groaned as she got to her knees, her wings swiping down, lifting her back into the air, dodging a fireball that was thrown her way, pulling the staff from the ground on her way up. She eyed the scene, trying to find a way through, when Hera sent two balls of fire, one after the other, at the Flash, who had zipped into the way of the second.

“ _No_!” she gasped, reaching out towards the Flash, her hand glowing purple, _pulling_ him towards her. She yanked him through the air, his body colliding with her, dropping her to her feet, knees bent, sliding across the ground. She hadn’t realized that all sound had vanished, until the team was screeching in her ears through the comms.

“How did he move that fast?” Caitlin asked, overrun immediately by Cisco’s loud voice.

“Barry, _dude_ , you blipped on the screens!”

“That-that wasn’t _me_ ,” he responded, shakily, eyeing Persephone.

She groaned looking down at her hands, the staff held in the crook of her elbow. “Does this mean _more_ training with Harry?”

“I resent—”

“Seph, can you control _time_ now?” Cisco asked, his voice squeaking.

“Not now!” she yelped, shoving the Flash to the ground, her wings flapping to pull her back as a fireball blasted between them, inches away, as Hera roared in anger.

“She’s gotta get tired, right?” the Flash asked, breathlessly, swooshing to the other side of Hera.

Persephone shrugged, twirling the staff in her hand, flashily. “She’s an alien, Flash—”

“From _your_ planet,” he countered, ducking another blast.

She grinned at the quip, starting to focus her electricity into the staff, sparking off her skin, lifting her hair with the static. She sucked in a breath at the amount of energy she was amassing, and hissed between her teeth, “Keep her occupied, I have an idea.”

Gritting her teeth, she focused on the crackling around her, on the lightning striking through her veins, held together by the staff. Her nerve-endings were alive with the power, just grazing towards overwhelming, when Harry piped up through the comms, finally realizing what she’s doing.

“You’ll have _one_ shot,” he rasped in her ear. “Vitals say this should _kill_ you, but with the staff—”

“Harry,” she growled, both hands on the staff, fingers white. “Not. _Helping_.”

She caught her reflection in the window of the shop next to her, her hair moving wildly, alive with the energy she was gathering, the purple glow of her eyes sparking at the edges, moving in time with the electricity crackling in the crown of the staff. She had never felt more beautiful in this moment, terrifying in her power; the power within the crown of the staff erupting, the lightning intensified, solidifying to white in its heat. She gasped at the shockwave that extra power shot off, turning stiffly towards Hera, her nostrils flaring as she breathed in deeply.

She twirled the staff above her head, slamming the butt of the staff into the ground in front of her with a forceful yell, feeling time slow as the lightning arced from the crown, cracking towards the woman. She watched as Hera turned her head, her arm outstretched—having just thrown a fireball—watched as her eyes widened, her body trying to turn to block the lightning, moving much too slow.

Time sped up as the lightning struck Hera in the chest, shooting her backwards, landing in a broken heap on the grass of the park, her body smoking. Persephone dropped to her knees, using the staff as support, gulping down oxygen tinged in ozone, her body starting to feel numb, prickling with pins and needles. Her wings hung limply at her sides, too exhausted to move, leaning her forehead against the—somehow cool—ivory of the staff, her eyes closed.

“Kore?” Harry’s voice, quiet next to the ringing in her ears. “Kore, answer me!”

“You don’t have to _yell_ ,” she groaned, struggling to her feet. She stumbled towards the park, but her body had another idea, her knees giving out after one agonizing step. The Flash swooshed in beside her, catching her as she crumpled, helping her limp towards Hera. The woman in question started coughing, smoke leaving her lungs as she sat up. Settling Persephone into the grass across from her, he pulled a pair of meta-cuffs from his belt, moving to put them on Hera’s wrists.

“Won’t work,” she grunted, settling the staff across her legs. He looked back at her, confused. Her smile was slow to form, her muscles not wanting to cooperate. “She’s an _alien_ , remember?”

The Flash frowned at her, before a grin crossed his features at the memory. “How _did_ you manage to get that book?”

She fluttered her fingers at him. “Magic.”

“So, what do we do with her guys?” the Flash asked, hand to his ear.

“Could always kill her,” Harry rasped.

“Harry!” Caitlin gasped, appalled.

“Wait,” Hera groaned, rubbing her chest where the lightning hit her, the wound already healing. She coughed again, a sound that had Persephone wincing in sympathy, before she continued, “Even in defeat, the Queen of Olympus must provide a gift to the victor.”

Pushing to her feet slowly with a grunt, she sucked in a deep breath as she straightened, her back to the two of them. Snapping her fingers, a cloud of dark smoke, flashing with fire, appeared beside her, causing the Flash to flinch into a fighting stance. The smoke started to suck into itself, swirling together to form—

“A dog?” the Flash asked, stunned, looking down at Persephone.

“Not just any dog, you _fool_ ,” Hera snapped, sucking in a breath that resulted in another coughing fit. She wheezed as she leaned forward hands on her knees. “This is the King of Hellhounds—”

“—Cerberus,” Persephone breathed, a drifting memory slotting perfectly into place as she looked over the beast. He cocked his head looking back at her, a beautiful black and tan animal, his ears perched high on his head, his eyes such a deep red they were brown. Blinking as the memory settled into place, she held her hand out, palm up, waiting patiently. He moved forward cautiously, neck extended as he sniffed at her hand; catching her scent he let out a low gruff, surging forwards between her legs to snuffle into her face, earning a startled laugh from her, his stub of a tail wagging so violently, he wiggled in her lap, licking her excitedly. With a delighted noise, she grabbed the dog by the head, rubbing his ears roughly, earning a happy rumbling sound, hugging the dog to her. She opened her mouth, glancing up, and shut her mouth with a click, realizing that Hera was nowhere to be found. The Flash shrugged when she glanced askance at him.

“Cerberus, huh?” he asked, crouching down to hold his own hand out to the beast. The animal moved towards him, sniffing up his arm and into the crook of his neck, pulling a laugh from the man.

“Can just call him Kevin,” she yawned, her eyes starting to droop. A breach opened beside them, Cisco jumping through with a wide grin on his face.

“Did we just get a _dog_?” he breathed, excitedly. He laughed, yelling back behind him, “Caitlin, Harry, we got a _dog_!”

“ _Great_ ,” was the sarcastic reply he got, pulling a snort from Persephone, as the Flash pulled her to her feet, leaning heavily against his frame as Cisco picked up her staff, the four of them moving through the breach, and, hopefully, towards a bed for a much-needed nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited to post chapter 5 next week.   
> Gratuitous smut coming your way next week!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the gratuitous smut I promised.  
> I'm not the greatest with it, but I was proud of myself.

_The first time she had woken up in Harrison Wells bed, it had been with a mixture of satisfaction and soreness that pulled a bubbling groan from her throat as she stretched languidly within the sheets. She curled herself around a silk-clad pillow, her legs sliding smoothly across the shimmering sheets to rest comfortably curled up beside her, body covered strategically with the black material. She yawned as she rubbed her eyes, scenting coffee in the air—_

_“You make an exquisite portrait in my bed, Little Flower,” came the soft purr from the door, pulling a startled gasp from her. Twisting, she held the sheet to her chest as she looked towards the door, where Harrison leaned casually, already dressed for the day in a pair of black jeans and a black cardigan, glasses held in his fingers, one of the arms resting gently against his bottom lip. She blushed a deep red, feeling the heat on the tips of her ears as she dropped her gaze from the intensity within his pale blue eyes._

_“H-Harrison,” she stammered in greeting, eyes darting around the room, looking for her clothes, embarrassed. He chuckled, pushing off the door frame and strode towards her. He placed a knee on the bed, arm coming across her body to press a hand to the mattress beside her, to cage her in, forcing her to fall back onto the mattress._

_Brushing his free hand across the side of her neck, into her hair, he pulled her up so he could ghost his lips across her cheek to whisper huskily into her ear, “Now what happened to the naughty minx begging for me last night?”_

_She squeaked, her body flushing with heat; a part of her wondered how she hadn’t spontaneously combusted. His smile was sharp as he pulled back to look down at her, eyes roving over the blush on her cheeks, smile widening as he watched her swallow nervously. His fingers tightened in her hair before he kissed her, his touch hungry, devouring her startled moan, coaxing her to open for him. When he pulled back, they were both breathing heavily, and his pupils dilated when he caught her gaze; she was dazed, her body jolting with a shock of need, unnoticing of the spark of lightning that arced from her skin to his, the current bleeding red until it absorbed into him._

_He cocked his head as he gazed at her, his smile turning to a grin as he watched her pant. He let go of her hair to brush his fingers across her skin, watched as her flesh pebbled with goosebumps, pulling the sheet slowly down her body, baring her to his gaze once more._

_“Harrison,” she breathed, her back arching up against him. “We’re going to be late.”_

_“The best thing about being the boss,” he murmured in that deep whispering purr, a chuckle rumbling through his chest, as he leaned forward to brush his lips and tongue across her collarbone. “Is_ I _say when we’re late.”_

Jolting awake from the dream, her body thrumming with need, Persephone panted under the dark cover of her wings. She was sprawled out across the bed on her stomach, her wings spread out in a cocoon around her, warmer than she would have thought possible. The feathered limbs ruffled as she stretched out, moaning as her joints popped with the movement. She sat back on her knees, scratching a hand through her hair as she yawned, trying to shake the _want_ from her body.

“You’d benefit from a round bed,” the deep rasping voice—hauntingly similar, yet drastically different from the voice in her memory—ripped through her body, goosebumps bursting across her skin. She jerked her head towards the door, the parallels from past to present causing her breath to hitch as Harry stood leaning in the doorway to the room, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his black jeans, the sleeves of his black cardigan pushed up to his elbows. His gaze caught hers, his lips twitching up into a small smile as he added with a tease, “Something akin to a _nest_.”

She let out a shaky laugh, her wings fanning out slightly trying to dispel the tightness in her body. She cocked her head to the side, taking a moment to look over him, longingly. As her gaze caught on his, she smiled sweetly, murmuring, “I know you’re trying to push some buttons, but I might actually invest in one.”

He huffed out a laugh, moving to cross his arms over his chest, his eyes trailing over her body. She wore a specially designed tank top, one that allowed her wings to fit comfortably in without much of a struggle, and—he felt his ears heat up—a pair of black panties. He cleared his throat, glancing away from her as he pushed off from the doorframe.

“Harry?” her voice was quiet, unsure, but caught his attention immediately. She opened her mouth, then closed it, doing this a couple times, before she let out a nervous laugh. “I’m—uh—I could, um, use-use your help?”

“With?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he saw the flush creep across her skin, fascinated. He stepped into the room, slowly, each step weighted carefully, watching as she parted her lips before her tongue darted out to lick them.

“I had a dream,” she started, swallowing nervously, voice trailing away as he moved to stand in front of her, his hands moving to push into his pants pockets, thumbs hooking through his belt-loops.

“Very Doctor King of you,” he teased, pulling a snort from her.

She sat up, reaching out to touch him, flinching back, before steeling herself, to press her fingers into his abdomen, causing him to suck in a breath with a hiss. She licked her lips again, chancing a look into his eyes, waiting for him to tell her not to touch him, instead her breath left her in a gust as she saw the way his pupils dilated. Tracing her fingers down to the bottom of his cardigan, she hesitated, before pushing her hands beneath the sweater, brushing through the trail of hair on his lower abdomen, pulling a soft noise from him.

“A dream?” he urged, his voice husky, pulling his hands from his pockets, his fingers twitching, wanting to touch her but still unsure. She hummed an acknowledgement, distracted by the way his muscles bunched and flinched beneath her hands, pupils fully dilated. He reached down, gripping her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. “The dream, Seph.”

“A memory,” she whispered. Shaking her head to clear it, she pulled her hands away from him, drawing in an unsteady breath. “I kept— _keep_ —dreaming about Wells— _Thawne_. He’s in my—in my head, and I need him _out_.”

“How can I help?” he asked, voice thick—mind racing with thoughts of _needwantheat_ —holding her gaze as he leaned down towards her, hand still holding her chin. She whined then, a high-pitched _needy_ sound, his pants tightening as he hissed out a breath.

“Kiss me,” she breathed, tilting her head back further, his hand falling away from her skin, their lips barely touching.

“ _Seph_ ,” he warned, closing his eyes against the temptation in front of him.

She reached up, cupping the back of his neck, arching into him. “Touch me, Harry. _Take_ me.”

He thought he was a hardened man—a strong man—his time in the military molding him into a man with an unwavering will, yet this woman unraveled him in a way not even his late wife could. The growl he let loose as he surged forward was primal, claiming her mouth, teeth sharp where he nipped at her lips, shoving her back against the bed as he crawled in between her legs, caging her body in. In the med bay, he had been gentle, wrecked by her dual state of vulnerability, pain and sensitivity culminating in new, overwhelming sensations; in this moment, however, it was unrestrained heat, threatening to burn the world around them. As she spread her legs, he slotted himself against her, grinding down, pulling a strangled cry from her throat, as she tore her mouth away with a gasp.

He pressed his mouth against her collarbone, his left hand moving to brush under her shirt, fingers pressing firmly into her waist, his right sliding to tangle in the feathers of her left wing, pressing into the sensitive limb, groaning as her body shuddered against him. Her fingers curled into his dark hair, brushing against his scalp, the sensation pulling a rumbling sound from within his chest. He could feel the heat coming from her through her thin shorts, despite his jeans, and he bit sharply into the skin of her shoulder, fingers clenching tightly in her feathers.

She moved against him, the heat scorching her, electricity crackling along her spine, sparking hotly against his cardigan. She reached down, gripping the material in her hands, tugging it up his body, exposing the skin of his back, whimpering when it got caught between their stomachs and on his arms. He pulled back with a breathy chuckle, leaning up to pull the sweater over his head, tossing it aside, eyeing her shirt.

“Don’t you dare— _Harry_!”

The material of her tank top ripped easily in his large hands, baring her naked chest to his gaze, her nipples hardening against the chill of the room. His lips twitched as he glanced up at her, suddenly fascinated by the flush that stained her cheeks, leaning forward as he took her breast in hand, to brush his nose against the heated skin of her face, capturing her lips in another searing kiss, his thumb stroking across her nipple, causing her body to jolt against him. His tongue slid against hers, licking across the roof of her mouth, gasping as she dragged her nails down the skin of his back, thrusting against her.

“Minx,” he rasped, pinching her nipple between his fingers.

“No,” she growled, tangling her fingers in his hair, tugging his head back in warning.

“No, you’re not, are you?” he chuckled, nipping down the column of her throat. He hummed, the sound rumbling against her as he slid down her body, swiping his tongue across her nipple, earning himself a warbling cry. “No, you’re a huntress, a nymph: a _goddess_.”

She cried out again as he sucked her nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue against it, the fingers of his right-hand caressing the feathers of her wing, feeling her entire body tense up, her moans mixing with the sound of her panting breath. Switching over to her right breast, nipping lightly at the pebbled nipple, he brushed the pads of his fingers down over her stomach, passed over the waistband of her shorts, to brush gently across her core, smiling against her skin as she bucked beneath him. 

“H-Harry,” she whimpered, voice strained, as she brushed her fingers across his scalp. Her wings fluttered beneath her, sensitive to even the sheets, a warbled moan escaping as she bit her lip. He scraped his teeth gently across her nipple, causing her to arch her back, gasping on another moan.

“Tell me what you need,” he rumbled, pressing his fingers harder against her core, pressing into her through the material of her shorts. He huffed out a laugh as she stuttered over her words only to end on a whine, unable to speak, pulling a pleased sound to rumble through his chest. “Can’t speak? I’ve barely touched you, Seph.”

“ _Please_ ,” she whined, fisting the sheets in her hands, tearing at them.

He hummed as he sucked on her nipple, reveling in the way her body shuddered under his touch. Releasing her nipple from his mouth, he ghosted his breath across it, murmuring, “Again.”

Her whine was breathier, needier, as she obeyed his demand, begging him, “Please!”

“Good girl,” he rasped, pulling away as he hooked his fingers into her shorts, sliding the fabric down her thighs, pressing kisses to the quivering skin he uncovered as he went. When she was completely naked beneath him, he stood back to admire the goddess laid out in front of him. He saw her eyes and body glow purple, then heard the door slam shut behind him, the lock clicking into place. She leaned up on her elbows, her left leg bending up as she cocked her head to look at him, panting as she chewed her lip. He smirked, pulling his glasses from his face, tossing them carelessly on the table to his left; his lips quirked up as he saw the way her eyes focused on his hands, when he moved to unbutton his jeans, watched as her tongue darted out to lick her lips as he slid the zipper down, the sound loud in the otherwise quiet room.

He palmed himself through his boxers, his head falling back with a laugh when he heard her whine; he had never used the action of stripping to tease his wife, their coupling having been quick and efficient—albeit with tenderness—but seeing the way it worked Persephone up, he took his time to slide the denim and cotton boxers down his hips. Hissing out a breath as the waistband rubbed against his cock, his shaft bouncing as the fabric passed over it, the sound that tore from her throat causing him to groan as his cock throbbed, twitching against his stomach. As he let the rest of his clothes fall the floor, he watched as electricity crackle across her skin, watched as each spark caused her body to twitch. Stepping out of his jeans, he growled as he watched her chew on her bottom lip. Surging forward, he fisted his hand in her hair, tugging her head back so he could suck her bottom lip into his own mouth, biting it sharply, pulling a gasp from her, before swiping his tongue across it, soothingly.

“Only I’m biting that lip tonight,” he husked, nipping at her jaw, as she nodded her head, swallowing audibly. He hummed, a pleased sound, crawling onto the bed, using his thighs to press her legs open. “Condom?”

“I-I don’t—I don’t—” she stammered, voice warbling, as her chest heaved with her shuddering breaths. “Thawne never—"

“Next time,” he rumbled, cutting her off, rubbing the back of her neck in soothing circles, relaxing her. “That good?”

She nodded, biting her bottom lip. His lips curved in a gentle smile, brushing his hand from her neck to pull her lip from between her teeth, running the pad of his thumb across the swollen flesh. She smiled sheepishly, her tongue coming out to swipe across his finger, in apology. He hummed, pressing his first and middle finger against her mouth, his eyebrow lifting as he waited, whispering affirmations as she parted her lips to lick at his calloused fingers tentatively. With his left-hand he brushed across the feathers of her right wing, pulling a muffled moan from her throat as she sucked on his fingers.

“Good girl,” he breathed, pulling his fingers from her mouth, trailing the spit-slicked digits down her chest, over her tummy, to where she wanted him most. Flicking across her clit, grinning at the gasp it elicited, brushing his fingers to her entrance, caressing her labia, before pressing gently into her. She opened beautifully beneath him, her legs spreading wider, soft panting moans and whimpers leaving her mouth; running his left-hand towards her back, he brushed his fingers across the base of the wing, feeling her clench around his hand. He swore, a prayer against her skin, as he moved his fingers within her, curving them just so—

“Harry!” she cried out, clutching at his shoulders, nails biting into his skin. He laughed, delighting in the way she moved against him, his cock leaking as he watched her fall apart; she was gorgeous, the lightning sparking throughout her body illuminating her body in an ethereal way. Her whines turned into a warbling keen, a desperate cry, so he shimmied down her body, licking a thick stripe across her clit, feeling her buck against him. Sucking her clit into his mouth, he continued to fuck her with his fingers, pushing her closer and closer to the edge, grinding himself into the mattress.

“Come on,” he growled, between the wet sounds of his lips on her, feeling her hand curling into his hair, her hips moving against his face. “Cum for me. _Now_.”

With a long warbling moan, she came against him, her entire body trembling like a leaf caught in the wind, grinding herself against him, until she was gasping out whines of overstimulation. He lapped gently at her, cleaning her slick from her skin and his fingers, until she started moving slowly against him again. Pulling back, he looked down at her, his hand resting on her mound, taking his time to watch the way her hips moved against him, trailing his eyes up her body until he was focused on her hooded eyes, glowing purple as lightning sparked dangerously from her fingertips.

He wrapped a hand around his shaft, sliding his palm against his pulsing skin as he leaned forward to take her mouth with his, kissing her languidly, taking his time until she started whining against his lips. Pulling away to look down between them, he rubbed the head of his cock through the slick of her pussy, teasing her ever higher.

“Harry—”

His name on her lips turned into a moan as he pressed his cock into her, rocking his hips lazily, the head of his cock pushing in inch by sweet inch, taking his time. When he finally bottomed out inside her, she was a trembling mess, her mouth open as she panted, her fingers twitching against his forearms, making soft sounds, and he was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. He watched her lick her lips, and he leaned down to kiss her, earning an overwhelmed moan as his cock pressed hard against her wall. She shuddered against him, her legs trembling against his body, and she swiveled her hips, encouraging him.

“ _Move_ , Harry.” She had tried for demanding, but the whimpered words were no more than a plea.

“As my goddess commands,” he rasped.

He slid back out of her, just as slowly as he had going in, letting out a surprised laugh when she bucked up, taking him all in again. He hummed, before he picked up his speed, thrusting in and out of her as she became a mess of noises. When just the head of his cock was inside her, he adjusted so that he had her legs pushed up, resting in the crooks of his arms, effectively bent in half, slamming back into her, deeper than before. She let out a high whine, her pussy wet with so much slick she squelched around his cock; he rocked against her, feeling his balls tighten, almost there—

He angled her up higher, the curve of his cock forcing the head to press into her g-spot, her sounds becoming wilder, the squelch of her pussy almost obscene. Her walls started to flutter around him, and then her nails were scraping down his arm, clawing at his skin as she tightened around him, her walls pulsating, milking his cock. And then she screamed as she came, drenching his cock, body shuddering against him; with a strangled groan, he followed her over the edge, throbbing as he spilled inside her, fucking into her until he was too sensitive to move. He pressed his fingers into her feathers, instantly regretting the move when she swiveled her hips against him, pulling overwhelmed moans from them both.

Letting her legs drop from his arms, she made a satisfied groan, reaching up blindly, to pull him down to rest against her, her heartbeat loud and fast against his lips as he buried his face in her neck. He kissed the skin above her pulse, and then she giggled—

He grunted a question against her neck, still trying to catch his breath. She let out another giggle, the sound giddy. He huffed against her, before pulling back to look down at her, his eyebrows furrowed in a frown.

“What?” he grumbled. She covered her mouth and nose as she giggled again.

“It’s like the hiccoughs,” she squeaked, her body shaking as she tried to hold in her laughter. “It’s giggling or passing out.”

“Hiccough giggles?” he asked, his eyebrow lifting. As she giggled again, he huffed out a laugh, prying her hands from her face to press a kiss to her lips, feeling her grin spread. Feeling his own lips twitch in response, he kissed her, soft and lazy, like they had all the time in the world.

And right now, they did.


	6. Chapter 6

“Hey, where’s Harry?” Cisco asked, strutting into the Cortex, dragging a cart behind him overladen with equipment. Caitlin glanced up from her microscope, shrugging as she stood up, walking out of the med bay to frown at her friend.

“What’s that for?” she asked, gesturing at the equipment.

“Harry had wanted to run some tests on the staff, left me in the lab with a list—” He held his hands up, curling his fingers together into fists, showing his teeth, pulling a sympathetic smile from the woman. “—a _list_ , Caitlin. As if I couldn’t figure out what we would need to test it—”

“You forgot the particle scanner,” Harry rasped, walking into the Cortex, his hair ruffled, the usual scowl on his face. He seemed relaxed, despite the furrowed brows; Caitlin watched him, curiously.

“You know what—” Cisco rounded on the man, his anger igniting, before his words registered. “You think it’s, like, meta- _tech_?”

Persephone walked in then, hands tucked into the pockets of her leather jacket, her white-blonde hair pulled into a side braid, closing her eyes in a wince when she moved a certain way. Caitlin eyed the other woman, her gaze flicking between her and the older man, suspiciously.

“If it’s an Olympian artifact, it would be saturated in Dark Matter,” Persephone responded, pulling her hand out of her pocket to rub at the side of her neck, beneath the braid. “I mean, it’s why we were so convinced _I_ was a meta for so long.”

“’ _Aliens_ ’,” Cisco breathed, a slow grin spreading across his face, as he held his hands apart in a gesture reminiscent of Giorgio Tsoukalos from _Ancient_ _Aliens_. Cisco turned to walk towards the staff, currently held in a stand next to the Lady Grim suit. He rubbed his hands together, greedily. “Oh, gorgeous, I wanna take you apart; find out what makes you _purr_ —”

Barry strode in then, looking down at his phone with a soft smile, Kevin trotting beside him, panting. Persephone crouched down as the hellhound picked up speed at the sight of her. She ruffled the dog’s ears, pressing kisses to his furry face. Standing back up, she let out a delighted laugh, turning to lean against the desk, before pulling herself up to sit on it, swinging her legs, her ankles crossed, leaning over to pet Kevin again, who leaned against her leg with a satisfied groan. Sending a coy smile towards Harry whose lips twitched in answer, she twisted to look back at Cisco.

“I’m just glad I don’t have to deal with water as an ability,” she told him. Her gaze caught on Caitlin, flushing red at the suspicious look, hastily turning away.

Barry shoved his phone into his pocket, frowning at her. “Water?”

She laughed, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “I am _terrified_ of anything in the ocean, so having control over water, would mean getting close to _creatures_ —”

“What d’ya mean you’re—what’s wrong with _water_?” Cisco asked, incredulously, blowing a raspberry.

Dropping off the desk, she turned with her arms crossed defensively, lifting her chin as she locked gazes with Cisco. “Why do you think I _never_ helped with King Shark?”

“Because you like ‘em big, wet, and ugly, and didn’t want Harry to know about your weird shark-specific furry kink,” Cisco deadpanned, without any hesitation. The silence within the Cortex was deafening, Persephone and Cisco locked in a stand-still, until—

“How did you _know_?” Persephone squeaked, her laugh becoming a wheeze as she leaned heavily against the desk, unable to keep the joke going. Cisco’s laugh joined hers, followed quickly by Barry.

“It’s the teeth—” Cisco nodded, sagely, pointing at his mouth, eliciting a giggle. “Big chompers, just gets the engine revving.”

“Oh, _man_!” Barry snorted, running his hand over his face. “Remember the _Jaws_ marathon?”

“ _Yes,”_ Cisco grinned pointing at his best friend, before pointing accusatorily at her. “You _loved_ that marathon.”

She threw a pen at him. “No, I _love_ the _Aliens_ franchise. The minute you pulled out _Jaws_ , I had a very convenient _appointment_ with—”

Her words cut off as she closed her mouth with a click, the mirth disappearing as her expression shuttered off, completely blank. Barry dropped his gaze, wrapping his arms around himself, taking a couple steps back to lean against the wall, looking down at his feet. Harry looked up from his inspection of the equipment on the cart, frowning at the three of them.

“You, of all people, should know it’s okay to have fond memories of your time with Thawne, _Doctor_ Kore,” he rasped, watching as her shoulders hunched, her wings lifting to curve around her body protectively. After a moment, she sniffled, her wings fluffing out as she tucked them against her back, lifting her chin, and twisted slightly to look back at him.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. She smiled then, a soft twitch of her lips. “For the reminder.”

Cisco gasped loudly, a grin crossing his face, as he lunged forward to grab the end of her braid, pulling it away from her neck. “Is that a _hickey_?”

She clapped a hand to her neck, covering the mark, her entire body flushing red. Her voice was a squeak, as she stuttered over a denial. Caitlin’s eyebrows lifted, covering her mouth as she blushed herself, the clues slotting into place.

“Does this mean you’re over Wells?” Barry asked, snapping his head towards her. “Iris has been going _on_ about this reporter at CCPN—”

“I-I—This isn’t—Caitlin’s been working on sex-pollen!” Persephone stammered, pointing towards the other doctor as she turned, throwing her under the bus with a wince: anything to get the attention off herself.

“ _Persephone_!” she gasped, moving to block the door to her med lab, blocking it off as Cisco made to get in to check her notes. “It’s _not_ sex-pollen. I’m working with Mercury Labs to make a female Viagra—” Cisco and Barry laughed, speaking over each other to ask questions, and then Caitlin looked between Persephone and Harry, pointing accusingly. “Well, _you_ —Harry and Seph had sex!”

The Cortex was silent as Persephone gaped at the other doctor, snapping her mouth shut as Cisco slowly turned to look at her, his eyes narrowed, as his lips twitched. Harry sighed then, taking his glasses off to rub at the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed tight. He put his glasses back on, before crossing his arms, leaning back against the other desk, watching the scene unfold.

“Two different Wells, huh?” Cisco stepped forward, tilting his head to try and catch Persephone’s eye. “Is it the—is it the, uh, the _goods_?”

His question had three voices ringing out simultaneously.

“Cisco!” Caitlin squeaked, scandalized.

“Ramon,” Harry growled in warning.

“ _Dude_ ,” Barry laughed, his nose wrinkling.

“I mean, _come on_ ,” Cisco laughed, swinging his arms between Harry and Persephone, his gestures exaggerated. “What are the _chances_?”

“ _Infinite_ ,” she mumbled under her breath, rubbing at the skin of her forehead, with a frown, as a memory bubbled to the surface. She turned on her heel then, marching towards the entrance, the urge to run overwhelming, wanting to be in private when it finally slotted into place. “I need some air.”

“I’ll come with—” Barry started.

“No.” She cut him off by holding out her hand, her tone harsher than she had meant, lightning crackling down her arm, sparking across her fingers. Flexing the digits, she shook her head, shoving her hands into her pocket, making her way to the roof. She had barely made it out of the door, stumbling onto the roof, before her knees buckled, collapsing on all fours as she cried out, the memory surging through her painfully.

_She stood on a garden balcony overlooking the two rivers that bisected the land, glancing up into the sky to watch as one of their twin suns exploded, rings made of solar flares changing the landscape of their galaxy. The sister moons had already collided with each other, merging into each other in a mockery of intimacy. Her people had started dying, poisoned by the flares, drowned by the tumultuous oceans that no longer had a connection to a celestial body, swallowed by the very land that gave them life. Only here, within the palace of Tartarus, did they appear safe from the destruction of their planet. Her chest heaved as she mourned their passing._

_“You feel their pain so deeply, my love,” a deep voice murmured behind her as a pair of large hands cupped her arms, caressing her skin with delicate touches. She leaned back into his chest, cradling her forearms as she gazed out at the only home she had ever known. “Why not let me help carry the burden?”_

_“I helped give life to them,” she whispered, gasping when a fresh wave of agony flushed through her veins. Breathing heavily, she continued, “It is only fair I share their pain as well.”_

_“Persephone,” he rasped, leaning down to brush his lips against her neck. “My flower, there is no time left.”_

_“We are_ gods _!” she snarled, rounding on him. “Should the Fates have not foreseen—Harry?”_

_She was stunned when she looked up into his face, faltering, images fitting one on top of the other. He smiled gently down at her, caressing a finger across the apple of her cheek. His voice was quietly amused, as he asked, “Is that my name when we meet again?”_

_She shook her head, reaching up to grip her hair within her fingers, pulling at the white-blonde strands, in distress. “Hades, what is happening to me?”_

_“Our Triumvirate have made preparations,” he murmured, pulling her against his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head. “You and I will always find each other, Persephone. Our threads are woven together too tightly to unravel.”_

_“Hades,” a voice of thunder called from the other end of the garden. The two of them turned to look at the man waiting patiently; Persephone wanted to run to him, to have him tell her it was all a nightmare, that Phobos would be punished for his torment, but the grave expression pinching his face rooted her in place. In his hand he held an ivory staff, topped with a crown of lightning—her eyes widened as she noticed the bronze blood dripping down the bolts. His voice was solemn as he said, “It is time.”_

_Hades arms tightened around her as he looked at the man. She looked up at him, saw the fear that danced within his pale blue eyes, a whine tearing from her throat. He returned his attention to her, his hands sliding up to cup her face, towering above her, every bit the dark warrior she had fallen in love with._

_“I love you, my flower,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. His eyes searched hers, before leaning down to take her mouth with his. She hadn’t realized she had been crying until she parted her lips on a sob, allowing him to deepen the kiss, to devour her as if it were the last time. His touch gentled, his lips moving against hers softly, before he pulled back, breathing deeply through his nose, resting his forehead against hers._

_“Hades,” came the warning boom. She saw her husband’s eyes flash with anger, glowing white in a short burst as he glared at her father. Looking back into her eyes, he kissed her again._

_“Be brave, my love,” he rasped, pulling back to kiss her forehead, between her eyes. His voice shook as he said, “I will_ always _find you, Persephone. Across all of time and space, I will find you.”_

_“I am yours,” she breathed, feeling her heart splinter in an infinite amount of pieces. As her father stood in front of them, she closed her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks, unable to watch as Zeus shoved the crown of the staff into Hades, gutting her husband._

_He touched the top of her head, his large hand trembling against her scalp as he placed the staff in her hands, heard him drop to his knees, wheezing, his own bronze blood coating the staff, the stained ivory sticky in her hands. “We live on through_ you _now, little one.”_

When she opened her eyes, she was face down on the tarmac of the roof. Her body was stiff as she pushed up to her knees, leaning back heavily, her joints stiff, her muscles sore. Brushing her hair out of her face, swallowing; she winced at the sharp edge that skated down her throat. The sun was setting, blue skies having bled away to orange—her heart wrenched painfully in her chest—the same orange of the sky when her husband—

A hand touched her shoulder, and she reacted instinctively. Her wings shot out, lifting her to her feet, as she swung a fist at the person. With a grunt, they blocked her strike, catching her wrist to twist her around before shoving her away. Lightning sparked across her skin as her eyes began to glow, spinning to look at them.

“Careful, Kore,” the familiar rasp warned her, the high-pitched power up of a pulse rifle following his words. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

_Across all of time and space, I will find you_ , he had said. She dropped to her knees with a sob, her wings flattened uselessly beside her. Harry rushed forward, dropping to one knee, his hands reaching out to her.

“ _Don’t_ ,” she wheezed, flinching away from him. “Don’t touch me. _Please_.”

“What do you need?” he asked as he pulled away from her.

She shook her head, reaching up to wrap her fingers in her hair, pulling at it, sobbing out a breath as she rocked forward, tears starting to run down her cheeks. The ache in her chest was drowning her, clawing up her throat to choke her, suffocating everything but the _pain_ for a home that no longer existed. She screamed, crying out as she sobbed, anything to stem the flow of agony threatening to crush her.

“Kore,” Harry rasped as he lunged forward. He dropped to his knees in front of her, his hands hovering above her, wanting— _needing_ —to comfort her. His voice broke. “Persephone, _please_. I don’t—I don’t know what to _do_.”

She drew in a shuddering breath, leaning back to look up at him, sobbing as she moved. Tears left tracks on her cheeks, her eyes bloodshot; he looked on helplessly, watching as she tried to breathe through the moaning sobs. Unable to hold back, he pulled her into his chest, cradling her to his body as she cried, body shuddering with each keening noise; she clung to him, the heart wrenching sound of her tears dying down until she laid in his arms, sniffling. He sat back, holding her in his lap, brushing his fingers through her hair, chest rumbling as he hummed atonally—something he used to do when Jessie was a baby.

“What happened?” he asked, his voice a whisper, looking down at her.

With a sniffle, she met his gaze. Reaching up she brushed her fingers across his cheek, before she whispered, “I remember everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have hit a snag in my ability to write Chapter 7.  
> I am, however, hoping I will get over the snag by the 15th, which is when Chapter 7 and 8 are supposed to be posted.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading through this! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  
> I will be posting a new chapter every Monday, with no specific time, so if you like it, stay tuned!


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